It has been 33 years since Ramadan last fell in the heat and humidity of August. Much has changed between 1978 and 2011. The nation's population has grown tenfold, great cities have sprung up out of the desert and even in such a time of self-denial as the holy month, most people enjoy a level of comfort inconceivable in those times.
Yet some things remain the same. This year, as in 1978, Muslims will fast for more than 14 hours a day.
Shaikha Al Wali and Salem Al Shamsi, both Fujairah residents fondly remember the last time the holy month of Ramadan occurred in August, which was in the year 1978. Video by Razan Alzayani
Those with adult memories of the last August Ramadan are now approaching old age. But they still have fond memories of a time gone by and customs and traditions that were once observed here, but have now largely vanished. For them, the hot summer of 2011 reminds them of Ramadan in 1978, which began on August 5.
Salem Abdullah Mohammed, 64, from Fujairah, recalls a number of local Ramadan customs that have not survived to the present day. He has fond memories of the joy that illuminated the faces of people preparing for the holy month. It was customary to start stocking up for Ramadan well in advance, he says, for this was no ordinary month. The extensive preparations often began during the previous month, Shaban. It was even customary for some to fast a few days during Shaban to prepare themselves to long fasting days ahead.
The last 10 days of Shaban were usually the busiest: families would stock up on food, cattle, dried fish and live poultry because refrigeration was not always available. Consequently, most meals were fresh. In fact, Emiratis would buy wheat and barley and the mortars to grind them to prepare harees or wheat porridge, still a Ramadan favourite.
Mr Mohammed said: "Cooperation was common in the old days, especially when it came to preparing for Ramadan. Neighbours would share foods and other stuff, namely rare ingredients such as rice, which wasn't readily available at the time, and only the rich were able to afford it."
Sheikha Al Wali was a child during that August Ramadan. Now in her 40s and living in Ras Al Khaimah, she recalls the hardships of Ramadan preparations in the 1970s.
With no shopping malls or supermarkets, simply buying food was a major task and getting home again another matter.
Rather than 4x4s, camels were the main method of transport for the men, who did the shopping. They often travelled long distances to obtain ingredients for iftar. Meanwhile, the women gathered firewood and prepared their modest kitchens for the evening meal.
The cooperative spirit of the neighbourhood is what she remembers most of all about Ramadan when she was growing up. Even young children were eager to play their part, delivering platters of food to friends and neighbours.
Mr Mohammed said pollution has made it harder to fast these days, with more dust and smoke from cars and factories in the air now compared with three decades ago. Still, he recommends adhering to the fast, saying it promotes spiritual as well as physical health, teaching patience and sympathy for the underprivileged and the hungry.
Coping with temperatures that regularly soar to more than 45°C - with no air conditioning - was no easy feat, though. Mr Mohammed recalls tricks for dealing with the heat. "There was a time when, for seven consecutive years, Ramadan occurred during the hot season.
"I remember that well because it was during that period that we harvested dates. As you know, dates are harvested only in summertime. Despite the scorching heat, we went on about our daily chores. We relied on traditional cooling methods such as soaking our clothes in water and sitting in the barasti huts to cool ourselves. That was the natural air-conditioning system of the time. People didn't care much about the heat in those days. They were used to it and they adapted to it. It was as simple as that."
Mrs Al Wali recalls that people went about their daily lives regardless of the heat. Women took care of their chores and sewed new clothes for Eid Al Fitr.
In her opinion, fasting in the summer months was easier then. People were accustomed to - in fact, didn't seem to mind - the heat. They would stay cool by resting in the shade during the day and soaking themselves in water. This also had the effect of lessening their thirst, she said.
People were hardier too, Mrs Al Wali believes, because such illnesses associated with modern society as high blood pressure, diabetes and raised cholesterol weren't common. People were much more active. They travelled across the desert, dived for pearls and did all sorts of hard labour even while fasting. For those fasting today, she suggests eating lightly during iftar so as not to burden the body and to make sure the fasting experience is healthy and beneficial.
Fasting for more than 14 hours a day was also another test. "We never kept track of the passing hours in those days," Mr Mohammed said. "We would only say that the days are long and we would just get through them determinedly and patiently. I recall that one man in my family would toil away all day under the blazing sun and would sometimes faint of thirst and hunger. Many advised him to eat and break his fast, but he availed himself of patience and persistence and held on."
Then, as now, the end of day during Ramadan was celebrated with an iftar feast. In 1970s Fujairah, this would involve the entire community: the residents of a neighbourhood would feast in one house, unlike today where families eat in their own homes. Preparation of the dishes was also a community responsibility, easing the strain on the family budget.
"Long evenings were not an option back then," Mr Mohammed recalled. "Entertainment systems weren't available. We would spend our days working, then, after iftar, we would rest at a majlis and share conversation about the sacred month, our daily chores or about life in general.
"Then we would perform the taraweeh prayers, which are a series of successive prayers with short intervals of rest. Shortly afterwards, we went to sleep. Of course things have changed now. People stay up watching TV or they go shopping. The new entertainment methods available nowadays have kept people from exchanging visits as they used to."
He warns that some of the most treasured customs and traditions of Ramadan are disappearing and in danger of being lost. He regrets the loss of the spirit of cooperation and sharing; people today, he has observed, seem too busy and no longer need each other. It is a heartfelt wish of his that the present generation make an effort to preserve Ramadan values and traditions that are part of the culture of the Emirates.
"I hope that our beautiful traditions never change or fade away with development. Especially the tradition of communication and sympathy among people and the custom of exchanging visits and gifts among neighbours and families, for these are customs that bring people together."
Mrs Al Wali recalled another childhood memory that has now all but disappeared. "There was a man who would roam most residential areas and go from door to door beating his drum to wake people up for the morning meal, al suhoor, which is the last meal before the break of dawn," she said. "We called him 'Abu Tabila' (the drummer); others call him the 'msaharati'. As for the suhoor meal, it simply consisted of dates, rice, goat milk and some vegetables."
Remembering the Ramadan traditions of her youth, she reserves a special place for a time known as "al muwada'a", an expression of melancholy as the month neared its end, when people would be heard saying their farewells to the holy month.
